Image exposure devices having light emitting elements have been used in imaging equipment to expose images on photosensitive media. Such a device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,712, which uses an array of light emitting light elements disposed within recesses formed in a substrate with a pinhole mask to expose an image on photosensitive media. The photosensitive media may be of the type having a plurality of microcapsules, with an image-forming material encapsulated within the microcapsules.
To form an image on a photosensitive media having microcapsules, a multiple channel image exposure device may be used to expose desired microcapsules with at least one of the multiple light emitting elements. Image wise exposure by the exposure device hardens the desired microcapsules such that when pressure is applied by means of a microcapsule-rupturing device only the unexposed microcapsules are ruptured. The ruptured microcapsules release an image-forming material encapsulated within to form an image within the photosensitive material. Similar imaging forming equipment is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,440,846 and 4,339,209.
Image exposure devices having molded lenslets generally have a mask to reduce channel cross talk, aberrations, and flair. Depending on the application, the mask can become very important to the image quality of a completed image. Typically the mask is placed in the light path of the exposure device. Accuracy of the location and features of the mask may be required to be within a few microns to prevent blocking the light source or forming image artifacts in an image formed on the photosensitive media due to the alignment or accuracy of the mask. Alignment can become complicated and expensive as the number of imaging channels increases. Thus, there is a need for improved image quality and lower cost by improving the fabrication and alignment accuracy of a mask used in a multiple channel image exposure device.